Sales executive claims trial for soliciting RM3,500 bribe

KUALA LUMPUR: A sales executive was charged in the Sessions Court here yesterday with demanding a RM3,500 bribe in exchange for a fake diploma from a private university last year.

C. Vijayakumar, 34, who had previous charges with multiple counts of a similar offence, claimed trial before judge Azman Ahmad.

Vijayakumar was accused of soliciting RM3,500 from Muhamad Amir Safwan Rusli as a pay-off to help him obtain a Diploma in Business Administration from the Infrastructure University under the name Mohd Amirul Hakim Rusdi, without having to go through a proper learning process.

The accused allegedly committed the offence at McDonalds in Mukim Sungai Buloh, Persiaran Perdana, Bandar Sri Damansara, here, at 2.40pm on Jan 18 last year.

The offence, under Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian AntiCorruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, carries a jail term of up to 20 years or a fine of not less than five times the amount of gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher, if convicted.

MACC deputy public prosecutor Nor Ameelyna Zaini proposed a RM8,000 bail and sought to transfer the case for a joint trial with the accused’s other cases at the Shah Alam Sessions Court.

In pleading for a lower bail, counsel Mohd Shahrullah Khan Nawab Zadah Khan, who represented Vijayakumar, said his client had given full cooperation to MACC throughout the investigation.

“He even came to the court himself. His bailor is his wife, who is unemployed.

“I seek the bail amount to be set at RM2,000.”

The judge then allowed the accused RM3,500 bail with one surety.

He also allowed the case to be transferred to Shah Alam and fixed April 9 for mention.

Yesterday, Vijayakumar and trader Mark Aaron Pious, 34, claimed trial at the Shah Alam Sessions Court for accepting RM3,000 graft from the same person and for the same purpose.